


It's A Human Thing

by Idhren15



Series: Ace Week 2019 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aro-Aces Are Awesome And Valid, Aromantic, Aromantic Asexual Keith, Aromantic Keith, Asexual Awareness Week, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Autistic Keith, Gen, Keith-Centric, Pre Canon, Pre Kerberos, aceweek2019, asexual Keith, broganes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-10-26 21:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20749031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idhren15/pseuds/Idhren15
Summary: "I don't want to dateanyone!" Keith exclaimed, "I don't feel that way, Shiro! I don't understand love or attraction and Idon't feel itbut that's just another thing screwed up about me isn't it?"Keith discovers his sexual orientation.Written for day 1 of Ace Week 2019!





	It's A Human Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I'm excited to be celebrating this year's Asexuality Awareness Week by posting a oneshot every day of the week, featuring my asexual headcanons!
> 
> And what better way to start than my ultimate Space Ace, Keith Kogane! :D 
> 
> This can be read as a prequel to _It's Not A Galra Thing_ or just a standalone :)
> 
> I've put my triple A Keith headcanons in this fic- asexual, aromantic, & autistic!

"Hey, Kogane?"

Keith barely looked up from the pile of slop that the Garrison chefs called breakfast, wrestling internally on whether he should eat it or just wait until lunch. He could probably last a few hours...

"Kogane!"

Reluctantly he dragged his eyes up, startling slightly when he realised the loud voice belonged to a girl, who looked a similar age to him. She was with three others, one of whom was blushing profusely, though Keith had no idea why.

"Uh, what?" he asked gruffly, bracing himself for cold words or a sudden hand grabbing his shirt and telling him to _stay away from my girl!_

(That was something he never understood.)

But these girls just giggled, and the one who'd spoken gently nudged her red-cheeked friend.

"Lola has something to say," she said, grinning.

Keith's gaze darted to the blushing girl - Lola, he presumed - watching as her cheeks seem to darken even further. _How is that possible?_

Lola leant forward, her blue eyes wide. "So, Keith... I was wondering, if maybe you'd go out with me?"

He blinked, and then she was right in front of him, practically sitting on the table, her friends nowhere in sight. What was in sight, though, was her low-cut shirt, exposing all the skin that teenage boys loved to see.

Well, _most_ boys.

Keith easily avoided looking at her chest, because that would be impolite; he needed to try and make eye contact with people, even though it was difficult. Conversation was all so difficult, too. In fact-

Lola coughed, and he realised he still hadn't responded.

"Um, go out?" he repeated stupidly.

"Yeah. Like a date." She smiled and batted her eyelids.

He scooped up some of the slop onto his spoon, hunger winning. "No thanks," he answered, fighting back the urge to grimace at the now-cold sludge trickling down his throat.

The red faded from Lola's cheeks. "Oh," she said, subdued, "Um, is there another girl?"

He swallowed. "No." Another mouthful of the slop, and it wasn't so terrible.

"Then, do you just not like me?" Lola asked, hurt.

Keith shrugged. "I'm just not interested in girls," he admitted.

Lola's eyes widened, then narrowed, and she was round the other side of the table as soon as he blinked. Immediately she slid into the seat next to him, and reached up to touch his cheek. Keith stiffened under the touch, unsure of what the heck to do.

"I'm interesting," Lola murmured, "You'll like me, if you give me a chance."

"No?"

"Come on," Lola commented, "You're not gay, are you?"

Keith shook his head.

"Then don't you feel something?" Her hands trailed down to his chest, and he instantly pulled away.

_Yeah. I feel really uncomfortable._

"Stop it," Keith urged quietly, shuffling away from her. Lola just moved closer to him again.

Keith scowled and stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "Leave me alone! I don't like anyone, okay?"

"No-one?" Lola cocked her head, pondering, then her nose wrinkled. "Seriously? No one at all?"

"That's what no-one means!" he snapped.

Lola's face screwed into an ugly expression. "There must be something wrong with you," she declared, and Keith simply scowled harder in response, ignoring how the words _stung_.

He _knew_ he wasn't normal, far from it, but every little _different_ thing just made him feel more and more isolated, separate from everyone else.

Lola kept talking, but it was turning into white noise, and the stares of everyone were just _too much_, he had to leave, he needed to get out, he needed, he needed-

"Keith? Are you okay?"

He blinked, suddenly aware of the dampness by his eyes, and that he was standing outside Shiro's dorm.

"Yeah," he lied, turning to leave. But Shiro saw right through him.

"Come in," his friend gently urged, and Keith entered the dorm, immediately sinking in to the soft beanbag beside Shiro's bed, the familiar texture and surroundings instantly comforting.

Shiro closed the door then sat down on his bed. "Did something happen at breakfast?" he asked, his voice soft.

Keith sighed - there was no use lying to Shiro - and nodded.

"I'm all broken, aren't I?" he whispered, hating how his voice shook.

Shiro recoiled. "What? No, Keith! If this is about your autism-"

"It's not," he interrupted, "It's, I-" His words trailed off into stammered nonsense as he bounced his leg, trying to just make himself _speak the damn sentences_ that he needed to.

"Take your time, Keith," Shiro said gently, reaching into one of his drawers to grab a fidget cube, which he placed in Keith's twitching fingers. Keith immediately fiddled with the buttons and the spinner, focusing his gaze on the cube until his mouth let the words come again.

"A girl asked me out and I said no because I'm not interested in that stuff but she said there's stuff _wrong_ with me and I knew that already but I don't want there to be anything else wrong," he finally blurted out.

Shiro's brow furrowed. "She said you're wrong...because you don't want to date her?"

"I don't want to date _anyone_!" Keith exclaimed, "I don't feel that way, Shiro! I don't understand love or attraction and I _don't feel it_ but that's just another thing screwed up about me isn't it?"

Shiro was silent, and Keith tensed, clicking the cube incessantly as he prepared for the inevitable response.

It didn't come.

"Aromantic asexual," Shiro stated instead.  
Keith blinked. "What?"

"Aromantic asexual," Shiro repeated, "You could be an aromantic asexual, Keith."

Hesitantly Keith asked what exactly that meant, and Shiro explained.

And everything fit into place.

"It's a...normal human thing?" Keith enquired, hardly daring to believe.

"Of course," Shiro smiled, "It's definitely a human thing."

Keith tentatively smiled back, letting those terms bounce in his head. _Aromantic asexual_. It just... felt so _right_ to refer to himself in that way. And it was nice to experience that, for a moment: the feeling that everything was okay, that he wasn't broken or messed up or wrong or any of the other things that people tried to say.

_Aro-ace. Sounds awesome to me._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments are most welcome ^-^
> 
> Next fic features my favourite boy from Avatar: The Last Airbender!


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